Chapter 15: Neighbors

"Of course, I need to know!" Lin Momo said. "I told Tang Tang to play with her grandfather first, and I would discuss with her mom when to have a little brother for her!" "Er... " Lin Momo couldn’t begin to describe how she felt about that. She had known Qin Haodong for less than two days, and she had been shyer than ever. Her image as an unemotional ice queen was completely destroyed. "How can you talk to a child like that?" "If I didn't say that, Tang Tang would not have left. How could I continue to treat you without her leaving?" "But you can't lie to a child, can you?" Lin Momo said angrily. "Do you mean we should really have a baby brother for Tang Tang?" Qin Haodong laughed. "What..." Lin Momo was so embarrassed that she stopped talking and closed her eyes, but her heart was beating violently. Finally, after the massage, Qin Haodong and Lin Momo returned to the living room. Lin Zhiyuan was playing with his granddaughter. When they walked in, he gave the two a strange look. Seeing them, Tang Tang ran over and asked happily, "Papa, Mama! When will you have a little brother for me?" Blushing, Lin Momo gave Qin Haodong a vicious look. "Er... After discussing it with your mom, we agreed that we don't need a little brother since Tang Tang is so cute." "But I still want a little brother!" It was clear she wasn’t going to let this go. "Tang Tang, let's talk about the little brother later. Papa's going home." Qin Haodong looked up and said to Lin Zhiyuan and Lin Momo, "It's late, I'm going home!" Before Lin Zhiyuan or Lin Momo could speak, Tang Tang cried out, "Where are you going, Papa?" "I'll go home today and play with Tang Tang tomorrow, okay?" Qin Haodong asked. "Not okay! Not okay! You liar!" she screamed, bursting into tears. "Tang Tang, Papa didn't lie to you. I'll come to take you to kindergarten tomorrow!" "No! It's not like this! All the children in kindergarten live with their parents. You are my Papa now. Why do you still have to go?" The more she cried, the sadder she became. "If Papa doesn't live with Mama and me, what will I say to my friends tomorrow? They’ll say I'm bragging and keep calling me a wild child!" "Er..." Qin Haodong turned his head to Lin Momo. This problem could only be solved by her mother. Lin Momo crouched down. "Tang Tang, Papa still has something to do. Let him go for the moment, will you? Tomorrow I'm sure he will take you to kindergarten early in the morning." "No! No! I just want to sleep with my Papa and Mama. I don't want to be a child without Papa!" she wailed, still crying. Lin Momo didn't know what to do. She turned to Lin Zhiyuan for help. "I'm old and need my rest. You guys have fun, I'm going to bed." Lin Zhiyuan ignored his daughter's pleading eyes and turned back to his room, the hint of a smile appearing as he walked away. Lin Momo's marriage had been a major worry for him over the years. She was both desirable and available, but as unemotional as ice, refusing to accept any man’s advances. He was surprised to find that Lin Momo had changed a lot since Qin Haodong appeared, which made him very happy. With such excellent medical skill, Qin Haodong was more than worthy of joining the Lin family. Perhaps more importantly, he was very close to Tang Tang. Lin Zhiyuan was eager to see his daughter find the happiness she deserved. Seeing Dad running away, Lin Momo looked at the weeping little beauty with pain. Finally she said, "Okay, don't cry, Tang Tang. Papa and Mama will sleep with you tonight!" "Not only today, but forever. I will always be a kid with a Papa!" she said. "Okay, you are Mama's boss," Lin Momo replied, feeling she had no choice. "Goody, goody, I can finally sleep with Papa and Mama!" Tang Tang broke into laughter, holding Qin Haodong in one hand and Lin Momo in the other, happily walking toward the bedroom. The bed was so big that it was not crowded at all for the three people lying side by side. Lin Momo's heart beat rapidly; it was the first time she was lying in bed with a man since that night. "Tang Tang, Mama has done as you said, go to sleep quickly!" "No, no, I want Papa and Mama to sleep with me!" "Aren't Papa and Mama sleeping with you?" Lin Momo said. "No! Not exactly! Mama has to wear pajamas when sleeping!" His daughter's words made Qin Haodong's heart tremble. He wondered what she would look like when she put on pajamas. He could not help thinking of how Lin Momo looked in a bath towel. "Uh..." Lin Momo hesitated a little. Her nightdress was comfortable, but also very sexy. Normally, there was no around but Tang Tang and her father, but with Qin Haodong here… She tried a different tactic. "Tang Tang, today is different. Is Papa wearing pajamas?" Qin Haodong sighed — so much for that. There were two quick knocks on the door before it was pushed open. Lin Zhiyuan appeared with a paper bag in his hand. "Little Qin, I know you certainly didn't bring any clothes. I bought these pajamas but haven’t worn them yet. You should wear them." He set the paper bag on the floor, then left, closing the door behind him. Tang Tang got up from the bed and went to the door to grab the paper bag and deliver it to Qin Haodong. "Papa, put on your pajamas!" "Thank you, Tang Tang!" Qin Haodong took the paper bag and went into the cloakroom next to him. Once changed, he returned to the bedroom. Looking at Qin Haodong in his pajamas, Lin Momo was speechless for a while, thinking that her old father was making trouble. Not only did he abandon her in the battle, he’d also smashed her shield. "Mama, it's your turn," the little girl said. Looking at her expectant daughter, Lin Momo could only sigh helplessly. She got up and went into the cloakroom, and soon came out in a pink nightdress. The nightdress was a braces skirt, short enough that it barely covered her underwear. Her snow-white skin shone in the moonlight from the window. Qin Haodong’s imagination went into overdrive. Seeing Qin Haodong staring at her, a trace of red clouds rose on Lin Momo's face. She rushed to bed and covered her body with the quilt. "Tang Tang, are you satisfied now? Go to bed quickly!" Lin Momo said. "No, we still have to do this." Tang Tang grabbed Lin Momo's hand on the left, Qin Haodong's hand on the right, and put their hands together on her own chest, with her two small hands on top. Only then did she close her eyes. Feeling the warmth of Qin Haodong's hand, Lin Momo flushed and her heart raced. She wanted to take back her hand but was afraid to wake up Tang Tang. A strange feeling slowly came over her, and it soon felt like time had stopped completely. Over the years, she had thought about finding another relationship, but she feared that Tang Tang would have a rough time. To protect her daughter, she had carefully controlled her emotions and adopted the ice queen façade. But now, she found herself hoping that this man, whom she’d met two days ago, would stay forever. Lin Momo dispelled her inner thoughts. Impossible! No way! She couldn’t fall for this man after two days! She had a child to take care of and a business to run; there was no time for romance. Qin Haodong, lying on the other side of the bed, was trapped in a beautiful memory, quietly guarding the two most important women in his life. It took a long time for Lin Momo to shake off her thoughts. Eventually, she slowly pulled her hand back. "Doctor Qin, it's late. You'd better go back!" "I promised Tang Tang that I would sleep here tonight. You can’t lie to a child, can you?" Qin Haodong replied cheekily. Lin Momo’s voice hardened. "I'll talk with Tang Tang. It's not appropriate for us to be together like this." "But it's so late and I don't have a place to go," Qin Haodong said. "Although Mr. Lin gave me the key to my villa, I don't know where the Jiangnan Ruhua district is. Would you let me stay for one night and I'll be back tomorrow?" An odd look crossed Lin Momo’s face, and she said, "It's simple. We’re in the Jiangnan Ruhua district, Villa No. 5. Villa No. 6 is next door. You can go home now!" Qin Haodong was shocked —living next door was a better scenario than he could ever have hoped for! As reassuring as this was, he was still reluctant to part with the warm family atmosphere on the bed. "Er... Momo, what if Tang Tang wakes up and notices that I’m gone?" "Tang Tang is a deep sleeper. Rest assured, she won’t wake up. You can come to breakfast early tomorrow morning." "All right then, see you tomorrow morning!" The tone in Lin Momo's voice told him not to push too hard. Today, he had made great progress with the help of Tang Tang, so it was better to quit while he was ahead. He left the house and headed to Villa No. 6, next door. The structure and decoration of were basically the same as the Lin’s house. The rooms were equipped with all kinds of household appliances and daily necessities. Qin Haodong took a bath, then finally got some sleep.